AI was easily one of the biggest buzzwords of the years. With the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, corporations and startups alike scrambled to introduce generative AI into just about everything that we do. And soon, we could see generative AI baked into our smartphones. Samsung’s launch of the S24 Series is just around the corner, and if their invite is anything to go by, AI features will be prominent on their new flagship smartphone. Apple, it is believed has been diligently working on its generative AI capabilities, and if reports are to believed, plans for a reveal for generative AI features on iPhones at its Worldwide Developers Conference later this year.
In a recent issue of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reported that Apple’s venture into generative AI is expected to be a highlight of iOS 18. The company has been developing its own large language model (LLM), known internally as Ajax, and anticipates announcing this at the WWDC in June. Gurman noted that Apple has been experimenting with this AI model since early 2023. Gurman’s newsletter hinted at potential features such as auto-summarizing and auto-complete in Apple’s mainstay applications like Pages and Keynote.
In addition to these developments, Apple is reportedly pursuing collaborations with news publishers as well. The newsletter also mentioned a significant overhaul for Apple’s virtual assistant Siri, in response to advancements in AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also reported in December that Apple’s Siri team has been focusing on LLMs and other AI features since the third quarter of 2023.
In another recent report, it was revealed that Apple is negotiating with publishers to use their news content for training its generative AI systems. The company is believed to have offered multiyear agreements worth upwards of $50 million to access archives from publishers such as Condé Nast, the New Yorker, and NBC News, among others. This move is part of Apple’s broader strategy to integrate AI into iOS 18.
